Kyoko's Maternal Insecurities
by WiiFan2009
Summary: As Kyoko's due date inches closer and closer, her insecurities about her competence as a Mother grow until things come to a head. Faced with nightmares personifying her anxieties, will Makoto be able to assure her that she'll be a great Mom? Or will he need to enlist someone else's assistance to calm his wife?
1. Nightmares of Rejection

A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of my next entry in my Danganronpa Gaiden Series, taking place about a month or so after Makoto and Kyoko explore her grandfather's mansion. This fic is going to be a three-shot. Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Kyoko's Maternal Insecurities!

Chapter One: Nightmares of Rejection

"Where…where am I?"

Kyoko rubbed her head as she stood up a little too quickly, taking in the sight of grassy plains and trees as far as the eye could see.

"I shouldn't be able to stand up this quickly…I shouldn't be able to stand up at all by myself; I'm over seven months pregnant. So why…"

It was then that Kyoko looked down and found her answer; her baby bump had completely vanished, leaving her with the toned, slim stomach that she had during her teenage years. Her eyes widened, shock overcoming her as she just barely resisted the urge to scream.

"M…my baby…where's my baby?! There's no way I could have given birth already!" Kyoko forced herself to close her eyes, taking a deep breath as she forced herself into Detective mode, telling herself "Calm down, Kyoko Naegi. Just calm down. Now think; you were in your eighth month of pregnancy when you went to bed last night, in your own bed, and you had no signs of contractions during that day. Given the evidence, the absolute truth must be that this is a dream."

The last time she could remember having such a vivid dream was the night of her wedding, when her father Jin had walked in her dreams to dance with her. For good measure, she tried calling for him.

"Daddy?" When she was met with silence, she tried "Mommy? Jii-chan?" When she was only met with further silence, Kyoko mused "Alright, so I'm clearly not dreaming about my parents or my grandfather. So…why am I here?"

"Mother…"

Kyoko's eyes widened as she spun around, facing the source of the distinctively feminine, hard voice that had just a hint of boyishness to it. Standing five feet away from the former Detective was a short child who couldn't be any older than eight. Brown hair framed her boyish face in a long, elegant curtain that extended to the middle of her back, and atop her head was a lavender ahoge in a style that Kyoko immediately recognized as that of her husband. Further evidence of the child's heritage was shown in her irises; her left being green and her right being purple.

Kyoko gasped at the realization, a happy, beaming smile hidden beneath her palm as she uttered "My…my baby…my daughter…"

At that, the nameless child glared back at her mother, dual-colored eyes glaring hardened ice straight at their intended target. Kyoko stepped back involuntarily, frowning and dropping her hands as she felt unnerved by how much she recognized that glare, having used it on her own parent so many years ago.

As Kyoko felt her heart clench and ache, she wondered _Is this how my father felt when I used to glare at him during that year at Hope's Peak?_

"Mother."

Startled by the cold greeting by her own daughter, Kyoko asked, nervously "What…what's wrong, darling…"

"Don't call me darling!"

With that outburst, Kyoko felt her heart start to crack as her unnamed daughter started to walk closer and closer, Kyoko suddenly feeling like she was suffocating in the presence of her daughter.

"What…what did I do?"

It was all Kyoko could answer, but it wasn't enough for the little girl, who seethed as steam whistled from her nostrils, making her appear like a raging bull "What did you do? It's more like what you didn't do! You weren't there! You were never around!"

Gasping, Kyoko stumbled backward, falling on her butt as she begged "What do you mean?"

Snorting, the young girl glared at her mother as she revealed "I mean exactly what I said. You weren't there for me! You always made time for Daddy or Aunt Komaru or Jii-chan or Baa-chan, but when I needed you for something, you were never there! It was always "Somebody has to run the school, darling!" or "Your father needs me more than you right now, darling!" You only took care of me when it was convenient for you, but when I really needed you, you weren't there. You made Dad do all of the heavy lifting when it came to raising me. Dad always defended you, saying how you always wanted a baby with him, but you never tried to be a **mother** to me!"

Tears escaping from her eyes, Kyoko weakly defended "I…I'm sorry, my little girl…"

The child's face turned red with anger at Kyoko's weak apology as she screamed at her mother, making the former Detective's heart shatter.

"I WISH I'D NEVER BEEN BORN!"

All of the trees around them collapsed to the ground, as though sliced by the girl's words, just like Kyoko's heart felt. With only a "humph", she turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving a now sobbing Kyoko, who curled up in a fetal position, her worst fears apparently having been realized.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SOOORRRRYYYYY!"

XXX

Makoto's eyes snapped awake as he practically leapt into a sitting position, awakened from his slumber by his wife's wailing sobs. He immediately crawled over to lightly shake his wife back to her senses.

"Kyoko? It's me, Makoto. Can you hear me, honey?"

As her cries subsided after becoming aware of her voice, Kyoko nodded, sitting up as she wiped her eyes with her wrist. She turned her head to face her husband, who was staring at her with fear and concern in his eyes.

"Ma…Makoto…" Kyoko croaked.

Without another word, Makoto shuffled until he was behind her, his legs laying on either side of his wife as he wrapped his arms around her waist, palms resting on her swelling belly. Ever since she had entered the third trimester, their growing baby resting in her womb made snuggling awkward and impractical. So as a compromise, Makoto transitioned to spooning his wife in bed, kissing her cheeks and relaxing his wife by rubbing her tummy until she fell asleep.

It was this approach that was allowing Kyoko to calm down until she winced, feeling her baby kick frantically, as though scared for their mother.

Makoto leaned downward, under her arm until his face was adjacent to the side of her swell, cooing "Shh…It's okay, little one. Mommy just had a bad dream, but she'll be alright. Daddy will take good care of Mommy, so please, settle down and go back to sleep."

Once she felt the storm of kicks recede, Kyoko sighed in relief, allowing her husband to return to where he was, caressing her belly while peppering her cheeks with gentle kisses to soothe the nightmare away.

"Ano…" Makoto hesitated before continuing "I know I told our baby that you were having a bad dream, but was that really what happened? Did you have a nightmare?"

Twisting her neck to face her husband, Kyoko could only nod in confirmation. Frowning, Makoto leaned forward to nuzzle his nose against her own.

"Do you want to tell me about it? I'll understand if you don't, but I do think it'll help. It did for me."

Makoto and Kyoko's thoughts both wandered to his string of Post-Traumatic Stress-Induced nightmares, and how she had gone to great effort to ease his suffering.

"I…" she admitted. "I don't…**want** to…but…I think I need to. Can you just continue holding me, so I don't lose my resolve?"

Makoto stared into her eyes, the violet irises swimming with fear and pain, as well as the desire to be wrapped in a protective embrace. Makoto smiled, continuing to rub soothing circles into the sides of her belly as he nodded, leading Kyoko to take a deep breath and begin her tale.

"I woke up in a field of grass, in one of my maternity dresses, but I wasn't pregnant. After I deduced that I was dreaming, I called out for my parents and my grandfather, thinking that one of them was trying to talk to me in my dreams like on our wedding night."

Makoto nodded, remembering how Hibiki had walked in his dreams to dance with him. Without any verbal response from him, Kyoko continued.

"None of them answered, though; instead, I heard a voice that I had never heard before, yet it seemed too familiar to forget. I turned around, and I saw…" Kyoko placed her palms over her belly button as she finished "I saw an eight-year-old version of what could have been our baby, Makoto."

Makoto's eyes widened, starting to come to some basic understanding of the theme of her nightmare.

"I tried to talk to them, and that's when it became a nightmare. They rebuffed my calls of affection and started talking about how I was never there for them. And then they…" Kyoko started to sob again as she cried "They screamed at me that they wished they had never been born!"

"Kyoko…"

Makoto tried to rock her in his lap as best he could, determined to soothe his wife despite her expanded frame.

Somehow, through her torrent of sobs, she asked "Makoto? What if…what if I'm not ready to be a Mom? What if the baby comes and I just completely suck at it? What if I just end up repeating my father's mistakes?"

"Shh…Kyoko, don't say that! You're gonna be a great Mom, I just know it! I mean, ever since the baby started kicking, you've been talking to them every night before we go to bed. And you've always sounded to loving and affectionate with them! You're a total natural!"

"…Actually…" Kyoko blushed as she confessed "I've only been saying what I imagined you would say to them. None of those are my own words. I just thought…since you're going to be such a perfect father…*hiccup*, that you'd be the perfect role model when it comes to parenting."

_…Me? A role model?_

Astonished that Kyoko held him on such high of a pedestal, Makoto flashed back to the time they spent together before their engagement, when he viewed her as an unshakable pillar of strength that he aspired to be worthy of.

_To think she holds me in similarly high esteem…_ "But, Kyoko…I'm still learning. Why wouldn't someone more experienced be your role model for this?

"Because I don't have anyone else! My mother's dead, my father was never around, and my grandfather put more importance on my Detective training than on how to be a good parent." Kyoko took a deep, shaky breath before staring into her husband's wild-eyed expression and continuing "Makoto, you've made me feel warmer and bubblier than anyone else has! You're the only one I've ever opened my heart to. Why wouldn't you be my role model? You're my only assurance that I won't end up ruining this baby's life!"

Moving one hand from her torso to stroke against her cheek with his thumb, Makoto asked worriedly "Kyoko…how long have you been feeling like this?"

"…Since we left my grandfather's mansion about a month ago…"

Appalled, Makoto asked with a hurt tone "Kyoko, why didn't you tell me you were feeling so insecure?"

"I…I didn't think it would get so bad…"

Taking a deep breath, Makoto cooed "Kyoko…I'm not perfect at this; I'm still learning, just like you. And just because I'm warm and affectionate, it doesn't mean I'll succeed as a father. I have my own insecurities about parenting, too. But I…I know that together we'll figure this out! We're a team, Kyoko, and I know that together, we can do anything. And I know that we'll be parents that our baby will be proud of when they grow up!"

"Ma…Makoto…" Kyoko uttered, her insecurities being partially flooded by the power of Makoto's hope, reminding her of the sixth trial of Junko's Killing Game.

"But, if you're still feeling uncertain, why don't we go visit Mom tomorrow and ask for her advice? After all, she's managed to make both of us feel better when we talked to her, and given how she's the one who raised both me and Komaru, she'll have the experience to give sound advice."

Sniffling, Kyoko leaned her head to kiss her husband before admitting "I'd like that. Thank you, Makoto. Let's go back to sleep for now; I'm sorry for waking you up."

Shaking his head, Makoto assured her "It's oaky, Kyoko! I'm always here for when you need me. Never forget that!"

Beaming, Kyoko twisted in his grasp, pressing her baby bump against Makoto's belly to snuggle him as best she could, his arms awkwardly tightening their grip.

As Makoto rubbed her sides, Kyoko moaned drowsily "Good night, Makoto. I love you."

Smiling, Makoto kissed her forehead as he whispered "I love you too, Kyoko Naegi. Sweet dreams!"


	2. Mother and Daughter Talk!

A/N: Well, here's Chapter Two of Kyoko's Maternal Insecurities. As a warning, this chapter contains some politically sensitive subject matter. Please note that this chapter should not be taken as my personal commentary on the issue; it merely exists for narrative value. Anyways, please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Kyoko's Maternal Insecurities

Chapter Two: Mother and Daughter Talk! Hana Naegi's Secret?

"…Come in."

Hana's curious expression turned to one of surprised joy, as her son Makoto walked in the door, her heavily pregnant daughter-in-law Kyoko waddling in right behind him.

"Hi Mom!"

"Makoto! Kyoko! I didn't know you were coming. Shingi, come downstairs; Makoto and Kyoko decided to visit us!"

As she waited for her husband to come downstairs from his office, Hana eagerly got up from her spot on the couch, walking over to embrace her son followed by her daughter-in-law.

"It's so good to see you two!" She then gazed down at Kyoko's sizable baby bump, framing it with her hands as she cooed "And how's my first grandchild doing today?"

Hana felt a light kick in response to her inquiry, making both her and Kyoko giggle. At last Shingi made his way down to the family room, smiling at seeing two of his children visiting. Like his wife, he embraced each of them before Makoto led Kyoko to the couch, the former Detective's hand resting on where her shirt ended and her skirt began as she sat down.

As Hana and Shingi followed suit, Hana asked "So, what's with the surprise visit?"

Kyoko's smile faltered briefly before settling back in place as Makoto explained "Kyoko wanted to talk to you Mom about some things. Dad, I was thinking you and I could have a father-son day while the women talk?"

Both parents smiled and nodded in agreement, with Shingi replying "Sure, son; where will we be going?"

Scratching his cheek Makoto stalled "I'll uh…I'll tell you later." He turned to his wife and assured her "We won't be gone long; not for more than an hour or two, so we'll stay close by. You have fun with your mother-daughter day, alright?"

Kyoko smiled, nodding before Makoto got up and kneeled in front of Kyoko, his face level with her abdomen as he untucked her shirt form her skirt, rolling the fabric upwards enough to expose her baby bump.

"Now be good, okay?" Makoto cooed before leaning downwards to lay a smooch on her popped belly button. "Daddy loves you!"

Makoto gave her belly one last goodbye kiss, feeling the baby kick in response. Hana's eyes watered at the paternal scene, feeling pride at how much her baby boy had grown as Makoto rolled Kyoko's shirt back down. Makoto and Shingi then walked towards the door, opening it and calling back one last time before closing it.

"Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Kyoko!"

With the two boys now out of the house, Hana turned to face Kyoko, smiling with pride as she reflected "Makoto seems to be adapting to his incoming fatherhood very well."

Closing her eyes, Kyoko smiled and concurred "Makoto will definitely be an excellent father to our baby…Probably a better parent than I'll ever be."

"…I take it this has to do with why you wanted to talk to me, right?" At Kyoko's nod, Hana continued "And I presume it's also why your smile faltered briefly earlier? Don't be so surprised." Hana added after seeing Kyoko's expression. "Even if I weren't **your **mother, I'm **a **mother, and I've learned how to pick up on different tells over the years of raising your husband and his sister."

"I…I see…" Kyoko clenched her hands together and gazed downwards, confessing "You're not wrong. I…I've been feeling really anxious about raising this baby, about being its mother, and it's led to me having some nightmares for a few days now."

Kyoko briefly and calmly recounted the brief synopsis of her dreams that she had relayed to Makoto that first night. When she was finished, she felt Hana's hand rest over her clenched fist in comfort.

"Kyoko…I had no idea. But…why do you feel so anxious?"

Choosing to look her mother-in-law in the eyes, Kyoko revealed "Because I haven't exactly had the best parental role-model growing up. You might remember from that one Christmas I visited when Makoto and I were teenagers that I told you my mother had died when I was little, and in the aftermath of her death my father left me in my grandfather's care, so he didn't exactly teach me what it meant to be a parent. And my grandfather…as much as I loved him, he was never warm; parenting always came second to Detective training. As a result, I had nobody I really knew that could really teach me how to be a good parent. The closest one is Makoto, and he's my husband!"

Looking at Kyoko sympathetically, Hana tried to ease "Kyoko…my little girl…anxiety is normal for first-time mothers. Everyone feels scared about their parenting abilities with their first, me included."

Kyoko scoffed, waving off "I doubt that. Makoto must have been a perfect baby; I would be shocked if he gave you any trouble at all!"

Smiling wryly, Hana chided "Kyoko, there's no such thing as a perfect baby. I had my issues raising Makoto…as well as preparing for his birth…"

Hana's suddenly quiet admission piqued Kyoko's interest; she turned back to face her and asked "What do you mean?"

Hana bit her lip in hesitation before sighing, explaining "The story of Makoto's pregnancy is one that I haven't even told **him** about. If I tell you, you must swear never to tell him; this stays woman-to-woman, okay?"

Confused as to what could be so terrible as to make her promise never to confide in her husband about it, Kyoko nodded, curiosity overtaking her as she agreed "Very well; I won't tell Makoto. Now, what's the story of my husband's pregnancy?"

Taking a deep breath, Hana began "Shingi and I met in our last year f college; it wasn't exactly love at first sight, but it wasn't long after that we began dating. After we graduated, we rented an apartment together, to see how our relationship would fare if we actually had to be roommates as well as lovers. Then, when both of us landed our dream jobs not long after, we…" Hana blushed at the memory as she continued "We celebrated with an incredible night of passion. But…in the excitement, I had forgotten to take my birth control medication before we made love."

Kyoko's eyes widened in realization as she gasped "Wait…you mean…"

Hana nodded as she confirmed "Makoto's pregnancy was not planned. When I found out I was expecting him, I felt so nervous; we had planned to test the waters, get married in a couple years, then take some time to build up our professional careers. Having a baby fresh out of college wasn't exactly planned."

"…You felt scared" Kyoko concluded.

Nodding, Hana continued "When I told Shingi I was pregnant, he promised me that he would support whatever I chose. His parents weren't thrilled with the outcome, but they respected their son's capabilities in making the right decision. My parents however…they were not so understanding. My parents were very conservative; to them, having a baby out of wedlock was to bring dishonor to the family, and even though I was already a grown woman living with her boyfriend, they outright demanded that I…terminate the pregnancy to salvage our family's honor."

Kyoko brought her hand to her mouth as she gasped in shock; the thought of anybody wanting to end Makoto's life, before even meeting him, seemed utterly incomprehensible to her.

"And…I'm ashamed to say that I caved at their demands. I was never any good at standing up to my parents; in fact, I'm probably where Makoto got his initially passive demeanor from. The fact that I was nervous and scared due to the surprise of this pregnancy didn't help either. I told Shingi what I was going to do, he told me that he respected my decision, and quietly said his goodbyes to the baby he had helped to create. I then made an appointment with a nearby clinic for the following weekend."

Kyoko's eyes threatened to water at her mother-in-law's touching description of their saying goodbye to the baby that they might have never met. But she held it back, waiting for her emotions to fall back under her control before asking her next question.

"I take it you changed your mind, then? Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here having this discussion."

Nodding Hana continued "I had just driven to the clinic, and was about to walk through the doors, when all of a sudden, I felt a strange warmth coming from my belly. It was as though someone had turned on a bright light inside me, a warm, resolute light, telling me that everything was going to be okay. I suddenly felt my anxiety and fear become flooded by a sense of hope."

_So Makoto's Ultimate Hope talent manifested even from inside the womb!_ Kyoko realized as Hana continued her tale.

"It was right then and there that I realized…I couldn't go through with it. I knew that this baby was special, that I wouldn't want to give them up for anything." Hana gave a soft smile as she reflected "Of course, I had no Idea that my son would be the one to save the world from despair, but your adventures with him only proved I was right about him."

Smiling, Kyoko concurred "You're right; he is special."

With both women's moods raised, Hana finished "When I went back and told Shingi, he was over the moon; after promising he'd make me proud to be Makoto's father, he proposed to me right then and there. We were both riding emotional highs; and it's safe to say that the engagement sex we had that night was wild."

Both women blushed at that last remark, Hana out of fondness for the memory and Kyoko out of automatic embarrassment at hearing even the slightest details of her in-laws' sexcapades.

"The next day, we visited my parents and I finally stood up to them; I told them that I would welcome all the dishonor in the world with pride if it meant raising my baby, that I **was** going to raise this baby and that nothing was going to change my mind. They still weren't happy, but they relented, and after Makoto was born, they instantly fell in love with him."

_…Makoto always could win over even the coldest of hearts… _Kyoko mused as she recalled their days at Hope's Peak.

Hana then turned back to her daughter-in-law and stressed "Kyoko, there's no question I had a rocky start as a mother. You already have a leg up that I didn't; you and Makoto **planned** for this baby. But even though the circumstances were far from ideal, and even though I gave up my dream job to become a stay-at-home mom, Makoto turned out just fine; I couldn't be prouder of the fine young man I've raised. So even though you didn't have a warm parent growing up, I think you'll do just fine. Once you hold your baby, everything just starts to click. It did for me, and I have no doubt it will for you."

"Mom…Mommy…" Kyoko croaked, tears glistening down her cheeks as she awkwardly embraced Hana. She eagerly returned the embrace, palms caressing Kyoko's shoulders.

"Mom…would you mind giving me some pointers? About motherhood, I mean?"

Hana smiled as Kyoko's muffled voice vibrated against her dress; she leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I would love to teach you what I know, my little girl."


	3. Surprise!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Kyoko's Maternal Insecurities

Chapter Three: Surprise!

After a lengthy conversation in which Hana gleefully gave Kyoko advice on everything from diaper changing to breastfeeding to what bedtime stories to read, Makoto and Shingi returned through the door, finished with their outing. Smiling, Makoto walked up to the couch where the two women were sitting and leaned down to kiss his wife.

"Hey, honey! Are you ready to go home and have lunch?"

Hearing her stomach growl in response, Kyoko smiled and held out her hands, replying as her husband helped her up "Lunch sounds great!"

Smiling at her answer, Makoto turned to his parents and offered "Mom, Dad, why don't you two join us?"

"That sounds great, son" Shingi agreed before kneeling nest to his wife and whispering into her ear.

Hana smiled and stood up, dusting off her jeans as she accepted "We'd love to, Makoto. Shall we go?"

A confused Kyoko found herself ushered out the door and towards the car, being buckled in by her husband as their parents climbed into the back seats. Makoto soon climbed into the driver's seat, smiling at Kyoko as he turned the key in the ignition and slowly backed out of the driveway.

XXX

Kyoko stepped out of the car, supported by her mother-in-law as Makoto and Shingi led their party back to the apartment, slowly walking up the stairs until they reached the door to their apartment. Opening the door, Makoto gestured to let his wife enter first. Smiling at him, Kyoko entered with Hana's support before her eyes widened at hearing a familiar feminine yell.

"SURPRISE!"

_Hina?!_

Kyoko looked to her husband and father-in-law, who walked in with grins on their faces, feeling completely caught off guard. She then turned to see Hina and Komaru with grins on their faces. Standing around them were Byakuya, Hiro, and Toko.

Her jaw gaping open, Kyoko stammered "What…what's the occasion?"

It was then that Makoto pointed up at the ceiling; adjusting her gaze, Kyoko spotted a blue and pink banner banner hanging from their large TV with the words printed in big, lavender and green font "Congratulations! Welcome, Baby Naegi!"

Looking to her husband, Kyoko asked "Makoto…is this what you were working on while Mom and I were alone?"

Grinning sheepishly, Makoto teased "Hey, come on, Kyoko! What's a pregnancy without a baby shower?"

_…Shouldn't that be the mother's prerogative?_ Kyoko deadpanned.

Hina then exclaimed, practically hopping up and down in excitement "We used the pink and blue decorations because you guys still haven't told us whether it's a boy or a girl. So, which is it? Come on, don't keep me, er, us in suspense!"

Smiling at Hina's antics, Kyoko informed her "**WE **don't even know what the baby's gonna be. We agreed that we wanted the birth to be a surprise."

Pouting, Hina groaned "Noo faiiirrrrr!"

It was then that Komaru stepped up and shrugged "Ah, forget about that! Come on; I bet you and my niece or nephew are hungry. And we still have to open presents!"

Shifting her gaze to the corner of the room, Kyoko indeed saw a small stack of similarly colored gift boxes. She suddenly felt herself overcome with gratitude, barely able to hold back her tears of joy as she closed her eyes, a soft smile appearing on her face.

Resting her palms over her belly, she mused "Our baby and I are truly blessed, to have such thoughtful friends and family."

Hiro then piped up "Well, all of us except for Byakuya here helped to decorate and cook. He claimed that such menial labor was beneath him, so we stuck him with paying for everything."

Byakuya scoffed, turning up his nose and protesting "A Togami doesn't sully their hands with such menial labor. Besides, if it wasn't for me, you'd have no way of paying for this party."

Hina simply gave him a cheeky smirk and replied "Whatever you say, Byakuya."

Whatever conversation was going to continue was interrupted by the growl of Kyoko's stomach. Smiling sheepishly, Kyoko moved to sit down on the sofa, an assortment of dishes on display on their coffee table next to a stack of plates and bundles of silverware. Everyone soon followed suit, plopping down on the various sofas and chairs as they all grabbed their lunches.

"Itadakimasu!"

XXX

"Bye, Kyoko!" Komaru called out as she closed the door behind her, the last of their guests to exit.

Exhaling in a sigh of exhausted relief, Kyoko walked over to the now opened pile of presents her friends and family had gotten for her. Hana and Shingi, of course, had gotten her a good supply of diapers, baby wipes, various baby toys, and baby bottles to get her started. Byakuya had gotten some custom-made hoodie-footie pajamas that were as soft as silk. Komaru had gotten her a wooden crib, which her husband was now assembling in their bedroom, the gentle whacks of a hammer occasionally making their way to her ears. Toko had decided to handwrite several baby stories for her, surprisingly deviating from her previous romantic and dark styles in favor of one that was cuter and more family-friendly.

_"They're…they're too young for lo…love! And I don't wanna sca…scare them! So even though this cuu…cutesy style disgusts me…I'm making an excep…exception thisss once!"_

As Kyoko shook the memory from her thoughts, her gaze wandered to Hina's present; a small, soft blanket that read in bright, red text "Auntie/Godmother Hina is my favorite!"

_Kyoko looked up at the sheepishly smiling former Ultimate Swimming Pro before deadpanning "But we're not Christian."_

_Looking at her with pleading eyes, Hina begged "But it's the thought that counts! Besides, nobody ELSE has offered, so pleeeeassseee?!"_

_Kyoko sighed in surrender, giving a small smile and acquiescing "I suppose if that's what you want the baby to call you, I won't object to it."_

_Pumping her fist in the air, Hina cheered "I'll take it!"_

Shaking her head in amusement, Kyoko stared appreciatively at the pile of gifts, feeling grateful for having such thoughtful friends and family. The only gift she and Makoto had outright rejected was Hiro's, who gave them a coupon for one absolutely free fortune with no strings attached.

_"No."_

_"Wh…Whaat?! But come on, guys! This is the deal of a lifetime! I never give out free fortunes, you know that!"_

_"Which is why I'm worried. You might decide to "collect" the instant you go into debt again. Our baby will do just fine without your fortunes."_

_"Hey, don't be mean!"_

Shaking her head again, Kyoko's gaze wandered until she saw resting on top of the pile a simple lavender book with a plain brown bookmark sticking out from the middle.

_I don't remember opening this during the shower…_

Her curiosity piqued, she took the book to the couth, plopping down and taking a moment to rub her belly before opening it at the bookmarked page and beginning to read.

"September 1st, 1997

I just came back from my doctor's appointment today. We found out that we're expecting a baby girl. The news made me feel slightly calmer; at least being a woman myself, I have some idea of what experiences a girl needs to navigate.

Be that as it may, I still find myself growing more and more nervous and scared with each passing day my daughter grows in my womb. My husband and I are both only children; we have no siblings we can call upon for guidance. My parents immigrated to America and left no indication of where they live now, so I can't ask them. I've considered seeking out my father-in-law for help, but Jin-kun is still on bad terms with his father. He swears that Fuhito will look upon his granddaughter and only see an heir, a continuation to his Detective legacy, not a granddaughter to love and hold and snuggle. He genuinely fears for our baby's happiness should Fuhito learn of her existence. So for now at least, we can't depend on my father-in-law for guidance.

I feel so lost and helpless; I have nobody to guide me in my new role as a mother to this girl. My only saving grace has been Jin-kun, who has assured me that he would never abandon me or his daughter. Only his assurances that we would be in this together, every step of the way, have kept me from losing my mind. I'll trust in his love for us, and hope that we'll end up a happy, loving family in the end.

We started discussing names and settled on one we like; Kyoko. The sound of a child…I hope our darling Kyoko will only make happy sounds. Kyoko, if you're reading this one day, maybe if you're about to have children of your own, I hope that you'll take comfort in the fact that your mother was scared too. Just trust in your husband to be there for you, as I will trust in Jin-kun to be there for me.

I'm going to stop this entry here and go to bed early. I hope that my dreams will be filled with premonitions of a wonderful motherhood.

-Hibiki Kirigiri"

Kyoko's eyes started to water as she closed her mother's diary, placing it on the coffee table. Although hearing the story of Makoto's pregnancy and getting maternal advice from Hana had eased her worries quite a bit, knowing that her mother had been just as nervous and scared while carrying her. It was then that Kyoko felt a warm, comforting presence embrace her around her belly, though as far as she could tell, she was alone. It was then that she heard a feminine, nostalgic voice whisper in her ear before the embrace disappeared.

_Don't worry, Kyoko. You'll be a great Mom._

"Mom…Mommy…"

Kyoko smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes just before her husband came back into the living room, plopping down next to her on the sofa.

"Okay; the crib's all set up in our room for the baby."

"Thank you, Makoto."

Kyoko smiled at her husband before shuffling and swinging her body to lay on the couch and on his lap. Smiling at his wife's change in position, Makoto curled her shirt up again so that he could rub her bare belly.

"I take it you had a good day today?"

Kyoko closed her eyes and hummed in agreement before replying "Yes, today was wonderful." Opening her eyes again, she looked up into her husband's emerald eyes as she continued "Thank you for everything Makoto. Holding me, soothing me, having me talk to your mother about my anxieties, and even this baby shower! I couldn't have asked for a better husband, or a better father."

Makoto smiled, his pointer finger tracing soothing circles around the rim of her belly button as he assured her "Hey, you don't need to thank me. I promised that I would do everything I could to make this pregnancy comfortable for you, and I wasn't going to break me word for anything."

If Kyoko had anything else to say, it was interrupted by their baby's flutters in her belly, making the expectant mother giggle at the ticklish sensations.

Once they had subsided, Kyoko looked up at her husband who had taken to rubbing her swelled sides with his palms as she cooed "Makoto, I'm so excited for this baby! I'll do my best to be a good mother to them, and I'll always be there for them. I won't make my father's mistakes, and I won't let my dream come true."

His eyes sparkling at seeing his wife's fiery determination burn in her eyes again, he gently took her right hand in his own and placed a gentle kiss on her palm, his left hand still rubbing soothing spirals on the top of her baby bump.

"I'm glad to see your confidence is back, honey. And I promise I'll be there to help you every step of the way."

Intertwining her fingers with his, she replied "I know you will, Makoto. You'll be an excellent father, and I love you so much, Makoto Naegi."

"You'll be an excellent mother, and I love you too, Kyoko Naegi."


End file.
